Overview
- The Department of Justice filed a False Claims Act complaint on May 1, 2025, against Aetna, Elevance Health, Humana, and three broker firms: eHealth, GoHealth, and SelectQuote.
- The lawsuit accuses insurers of paying hundreds of millions in illegal kickbacks from 2016 to 2021 to brokers in exchange for enrolling beneficiaries into their Medicare Advantage plans.
- Brokers allegedly prioritized high-commission plans over suitability for beneficiaries, steering seniors toward plans that benefited insurers financially.
- Aetna and Humana are further accused of conspiring with brokers to discriminate against disabled Medicare beneficiaries by threatening to withhold kickbacks.
- If found liable, the defendants could face treble damages and penalties under the False Claims Act, with the case now pending in federal court in Massachusetts.